More Ads Are Being Delivered Via Connected TVs

As more Americans employ web-connected TVs and start growing more accustomed to watching shows on demand through apps instead of cable, more ad space is opening up to media buyers.

Could this mark the start of the boom for over-the-top TV advertising?

According to Pivotal Research, connected TV viewing overall jumped 65% over the past year and now accounts for 8.1% of total TV viewing for adults between age 18 and 49 in the U.S. on a daily basis.

It’s a safe bet that a large portion of that viewing is being driven by ad-free platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. But it turns out that commercial time is getting a boost as well.

The ad tech company Innovid, which delivers ads to web video outlets as well as a growing number of TV apps such as Fox Now, Hulu and Crackle, says the share of ads delivered through its platform to connected TVs quadrupled this year.

And according to Modi Media, an ad buying division focused on new forms of TV advertising within GroupM, over 37 million U.S. households watched ad-supported shows on connected TVs over the past year.